Multipurpose combination table



E. T. MOORE MULTIPURPOSE COMBINATION TABLE March 16, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed June 14, 1952 March 16, 1954 E. T. MOORE 2,672,391

MULTIPURPOSE COMBINATION TABLE Filed June 14, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2March 16, 1954 E. T. MOORE MULTIPURPOSE COMBINATION TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed June 14, 1952 Zeauofl 72531002 9, .9 7

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPURPOSE'COMBINATION TABLE Eleanor T. Moore, Concord, Mass.

ApplicationJune 14;, 1952, Serial No. 293,516

1. Claim. 1

The present invention relates to multiple purpose furniture, and, moreparticularly, it relates to a multiple purpose combination table whichmay be used as a table, tray, cart and. for a, variety of purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination tablewhich has detachable legs so that the table may be employed either as amovable cart or a stationary tray when the legs are removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combinationtable having a removable top which may be inserted in cooperativegrooves located. in the body of the table thereby adapting the table foruse as an easel, bookholder, blackboard, and for other purposes.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide acombination table which may be. either stationary or movable dependingon whether wheels or casters are placed in the legs. thereof.

Although my novel table. may be utilized by adults, it is specificallydesigned to. be. used by children. Some of the. uses for which myinvention may be employed are as follows 1. When the removable top is ina horizontal position, the table may be used for writing or for theplaying of games, such as cards, or for other purposes which tablesgenerally serve.

2. If the detachable legs are removed and casters placed in the bodyportion of the table, the table then becomes a wagon or cart.

3. In addition, when the legs are detached and nov casters are placed inthe body portion. of. the

table, the body portion may be utilized as a. tray :5.

for serving food to children confined to bed.

4.. Pairs. of different angled grooves. or slots are provided in theside walls of the body portion of the table and these pairs of slots orgrooves are adapted to receive the removable top so that the top thenserves as an easel, bookholder, or blackboard.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent as it is described in detail below with particular referi enceto the accompanying figures, wherein Fig. l is a view in perspective ofthe combination table comprising the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention with the removabletop portion in a slanting position in one pair of grooves in the table;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the removable top portion in anupright position in another pair of grooves;

Fig; 4 isv a perspective view of the table. with the legs detached fromthe. body portion and the table ready for use as a. cart;

Fig. 5. is a plan view of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on. line 65 of Fig. 5 and looking inthe direction of the. ar-' rows;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line. ll of Fig. 5 and looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 61 and looking in thedirection of the arrows; and,

Fig. 9 is. a view in perspective of a detachable leg.

Briefly describing the present: invention, there is provided a multiplepurpose combination table. which has a body portion, a removable top portion and four detachable legs. The body portion comprises a fiat baseand four walls surrounding the base so that the walls and the basetogether form a recess. The walls extend down below the fiat portion andabut each other at right. angles so as to form corners for receiving thedetachable legs. These detachable legs are held in place in the cornersformed by the downwardly extending portions of the walls by means oibolts and nuts or other suitable means. Each detachable leg is bored atthe bottom to receive a caster and when the casters are in the legs theentire article of furniture may be wheeled and readily moved from roomto room. A removable fiat top portion fits over the recess formed by thewalls and flat base. This flat top portion may be inserted intodifferent angled pairs of slots or grooves in the walls surrounding the.base. When so inserted in the slots or grooves, the top portion willassume the angle of the particular pair of grooves receiving it. Thewalls of the table are also arranged to receive casters so that when thedetachable legs are removed, the body portion may be used as a wagon orcart.

As shown in Fig. 2, the multi-purpose table comprises body portion I0which has a flat base portion II, a pair of side walls I2, 9. front wall[3 and a rear wall Hi. All of the walls are generally U-shaped andextend both above and below the flat base portion H so as to form acomplete enclosure around the base portion ll. Each wall has a portionl5 extending down below the base H of the body portion I0. Theseportions l5 may either be an integral part of the wall, as in the caseof side walls l2, or joined thereto, as in the case of front wall I3.These portions I5 abut each other at right angles below the base portionM and thereby form corners.

In each corner is disposed a detachable leg 16. The legs l6 are heldfast in place against the inner sides of the corners by means of boltsand wing nuts I! and I8, respectively. Holes l9 and are provided,respectively, in the legs 16 and side walls l2, as shown in Fig. 8, toreceive the bolts [1.

The bottom of each detachable leg 46 is bored to receive a removablecaster 2|. Moreover, the bottom portions of the legs I5 have a flatsurface. Thus when the casters 2i are removed, the legs IE will standfirmly upon the floor or ground.

The bottoms of the downwardly extending portions I 5 of the front Walll3 and the rear wall M are provided with holes 33 to receive the casters2!. When it is desired to use the body portion H) as a cart, the legs idare removed and the casters 21 are merely inserted into the holes 33.This is clearly shown in Fig. 7.

A vertical slot or groove 22 is disposed in the middle of each side walli2. Each slot or groove 22 extends down along the inner side of the sidewalls l2 to the base portion H. There is also disposed along the rearinnerside of each side wall [2 a forwardly sloping slot or groove 23. Inlike manner along the inner front portion of each side wall 12 will befound a forwardly sloping slot or groove 24. Each groove is parallel toits corresponding groove in the opposite side wall and all groovesextend down to the base portion ll.

Two pairs of parallel and vertically extending slots 25 and 26 are alsodisposed in the front wall I3 and the rear wall 14, as shown in Fig. 5.Each pair of slots are located near the ends of the walls is and 14, andextend down to the base portion N. All of the grooves 22, 23, 24, 25,and 26 are adapted to receive a removable top 27 in a fashion shown inFig. 2 and Fig. 3. When the top 21 is inserted in a. pair of slots orgrooves, it will assume the angle of the slots or grooves. is insertedin slots 22, 25, or 26, the top piece will be upright. When it isinserted in slots 23 or 25, it will slope downwardly and forwardly.

The top piece 2'! is simply a rectangularly shaped flat element whichhas the general shape of the enclosure formed by the walls l2, i3 andI4. On the under surface of the top piece 2'! and extending around threesides thereof is rim 28. Each length of the rim 28, as best seen in Fig.2 and Fig. 7, is L-snaped so that a channel is formed between the rim 28and the undersurface of top piece 21. This channel may thus receive ablackboard or painting board 29 (shown in phantom in Fig. 2)

A pair of holes 30 are provided in one of the For example, when the toppiece 2'.

side walls 12 to receive a rope 31 (shown in phantom in Fig. 4). Thebody portion I0, when used as a cart, may be pulled by means of thisrope 3!.

The front wall 13 is recessed at 32 so that when the top cover 2'! isplaced on the body portion in a flat manner there is provided an openingin the front of the body portion. Thus the recess formed by the wallsand the base portion I2 can be used for storing various articles whichthe children may use in their games.

Although the table is preferably made of wood. it may be made of othersuitable materials.

While the invention has been described in detail and shown with respectto the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited to such details,since many changes and modifications may be made in the inventionwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence, it isdesired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the inventionwhich may come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a multi-purpose table, the combination of a body portion and aremovable cover portion, said body portion having a fiat base, a pair ofside walls and a front and rear wall, all of said walls surrounding saidbase and extending both above and below said base, said cover portionadapted to lie fiat upon said walls and further adapted to stand in bothupright and slanted position within said body portion, the front wallbeing recessed along its top edge to provide an opening to said bodyportion when said cover portion lies flat upon said walls, said sidewalls having a plurality of opposing slots on the inner sides thereof,some of said slots being slanted and some being vertical, said front andrear walls having a plurality of opposing vertical slots on the innersides thereof, all of said opposing slots adapted to receive said coverportion and said cover portion adapted to be supported solely withinsaid slots when in upright and vertical positions, said cover portionhaving a flat top surface and further having a pair of L-shaped,inwardly facing flanges depending downwardly from either end thereof,said L-shaped flanges forming a channel adapted to slidably receive awriting board.

ELEANOR T. MOORE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 346,795 Wilcox Aug. 3, 1886 470,861 Chichester Mar. 15, 18922,346,919 Hillenbrand Apr. 18, 1944 2,397,405 Burkeman Mar. 26, 19462,483,106 Santley Sept. 27, 1949 2,603,500 Messier July 15, 1952

